Looking for the perfect car to replace your old one? While there are hundreds of options, the Nissan Altima is an excellent one for many reasons. The new Nissan for 2011 hasn’t had a major makeover in a few years, but it has been tweaked to perfection over the past several models, making it an excellent option for a new car.

1. Improved CVT. The usual continuously variable transmission is rather noisy and doesn’t improve the performance of a vehicle much, but in the new Nissan Altima, you’ll find that they have perfected the CVT and turned it into a rather efficient way to boost the 2.5 L four cylinder engine.

2. Good looks. There’s nothing shabby about the Altima and just because it hasn’t seen an update in a while doesn’t mean it looks old . . . quite the opposite, in fact. The last redesign gave the vehicle the lines to look good for at least a decade and the car is living up to that.

3. Impressive performance. This car is designed to be efficient, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any punch. For a mid-size sedan, it’s pretty fast, accelerating from 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. It also handles very nicely and the brakes are pretty good, too.

Overall, there are plenty of reasons you might consider trying the Nissan Altima as a possibility for your next vehicles. It’s been honed to perfection and is ready to go places, even without a major redesign in the works.

Recently, the newest Ford Fusion model has been seen out on test drives. While we still have a while to wait before it’s available to the general public, the 2013 model is already in stealth mode on the streets. There are even a few pictures of it floating around the internet, complete with coverings for the newest features.

It’s obvious that the new Ford Fusion has a whole new front end, with more triangular lights in place for headlights. There are new lines along the side of the vehicle, as well, which add a more streamlined look to the whole thing. With a slightly raised back end, this is obviously a performance vehicle.

Speculation suggests that there are solar panels on the roof of the new Ford Fusion, which was spotted driving around with a top cover, preventing a good view of the roof. That can only mean the company is hiding something new and improved there.

What we do know for sure is that the car manufacturer has developed a next generation powertrain to make the car more efficient and to save on fuel. The back end of the vehicle is also camoflauged, so we assume some serious reworking has gone on there, as well. Overall, it’s a good looking car and will definitely make a splash, even if we have to wait another couple of years. The 2013 Ford Fusion looks like it’s going to undergo a few more changes before its release date, so stay tuned for updates.

When you want a luxury vehicle that won’t break the bank, the Acura MDX is a good choice. The base model comes with enough extras to keep most people happy, but you can add in things like the impressive ELS audio system that adds a whole new dimension to listening to music in the car.

While there are a few complaints about the sport sedan model, such as the fact that its safety features only work at high speeds, the vehicle is a well liked one overall. It includes a voice command system, which many feel is just a little too difficult to use as it requires extra attention to keep it functioning well. However, the vehicle can handle up to seven passengers and while it is certainly functional, you might not expect it to be a good choice for off roading, but this is a sedan that can hold its own on just about any terrain.

The Acura MDX Advance features quite a bit of technology, but the best part is under the hood. You’ll find the same 2.7 L V6 engine in this vehicle that is used in the TL and the TSX models from Acura. Since the MDX is heavier than either of these two vehicles, it gets a little boost, bringing it up to 300 hp. Unfortunately, this also drops the fuel economy to just 16 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

The Acura MDX isn’t just a good looking vehicle, it also performs well and has a surprising amount of power under that sleek hood.

Every car manufacturer has their own schedule for redesigns, but for the next generation of the BMW X5, we’re looking at 2013 for a whole new car. This luxury vehicle is already pretty impressive, but it’s going to be far more interesting once the designers finish with it. This redesign is apparently going to be using a modular design, which allows the company to keep costs down by using the same parts for many of their vehicles. As long as it comes out looking good, consumers are likely to be happy with the change. It will also make it easier to find parts later on.

What’s changing?

Exterior: On the outside the new BMW X5 will have a more elegant flow to it, with character lines and curved surfaces. The current front grille will be replaced with a larger, more forbidding kidney grille and the headlights will be changed over to LED lights, a more energy friendly way to illuminate the night.

Interior: We don’t know much about the interior at this point, but it will likely hold up to 7 passengers, as the current model does. Overall, it sounds like this new model will enjoy a more masculine feel, inside and out.

Under the Hood: Expect the new ActiveHybrid technology with the brand new BMW X5. The 2.0 L four cylinder engine is diesel and has an additional electric motor that adds 17 hp to the 204 produced by the main engine. It also offers Brake Energy Regeneration to recharge the lithium ion battery pack.

Overall, the new BMW X5 sounds like a winner. We’ll probably start seeing prototypes on test drives later this year.

Buying a luxury vehicle isn’t within everyone’s budget, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a top end car just the same. A used Infiniti G35 is the perfect way to ensure that you have the best of both worlds, a luxury car at an affordable price. Rather than worry about car payments and loans, it’s possible to get your vehicle faster and at a much better price. Keep in mind that most vehicles depreciate drastically once they drive off the lot, so it’s in your best interests to let someone else absorb that loss.

The Infiniti G35 is a great choice for a luxurious car. To ensure that you get a decent vehicle and not one that has a bad history, you will want to look for a certified used vehicle from a trusted dealership. This will give you the choice of taking a car that has already been examined and has a guarantee, something that you just won’t get if you’re purchasing private.

Opt for a fairly recent model year, if possible. This will help eliminate problems that are inevitable with age and you should still find plenty of options for an affordable price. The older the car, the more you will end up paying for it, so it’s a toss up between lower price and higher quality. Your budget will likely be the deciding factor in whether you purchase an older Infiniti G35 or a fairly recent one.

Celebrities have to get around just like everyone else and for many, a limo isn’t how they do it. You might be surprised to find that some of your favorite stars actually drive around in a Volkswagen or an Audi Q7 . . . just like anyone else. Here are a few of the vehicles that celebrities have been spotted in.

Audi Q7: Singer Katy Perry was recently seen in a black Audi Q7, heading to a plane in Australia. The Audi is a high level vehicle, but still quite affordable for the general public.

Cadillac Escalade: This luxury SUV is one that can set the bank account back a bit, but when you’re a celebrity, that’s just fine. Colin Farrell drives a dark colored one and he’s not the only one who prefers this top of the line vehicle. Mark Wahlberg and Gwen Stefani are also partial to the Cadillac Escalade, as are Katherine Heigl, Will Smith and Jennifer Aniston.

 Porsche Cayanne: This hot vehicle is one that tends to be for the family members of celebrities . . . Miley Cyrus rides in her mother’s Porsche Cayenne GTS and Spencer Pratt’s wife owns a black one. Actress Sharon Stone has her own, however.

BMW X5: Eva Longoria rides in one of these sleek luxury cars, which isn’t surprising, given her love of all things luxurious.

All these luxury vehicles are worth it for anyone, but celebrities definitely know how to scope out the top vehicles for luxury rides and these are just a few of the favorites.

The Chevrolet Malibu is a good vehicle, but university students from 16 different educational institutions across the country will be working on making it an even better one. General Motors and the Department of Energy have teamed up to create the EcoCar 2 program that the universities are participating in. 

The students will be spending the next three years turning the Chevrolet Malibu into a more eco-friendly vehicle, competing against the other universities. Their choices include hybrid or fuel cell technology.

For the first year, university students will be working on a design for their vehicle. This will take the full year to design and the following two years will be spent implementing it. They will then test and tweak their ideas until they have a working prototype that can be tested by GM. Finally, the car manufacturer will put the vehicles from each university through a series of tests that will take around a week to complete. These are the same types of engineering tests that test to see if a prototype is ready for the marketplace.

The contest requires students to follow the same Vehicle Development Process that GM uses, to create a vehicle that is at once efficient and still appealing to consumers in terms of security and performance, as well as looks. Each university will receive a donated Chevrolet Malibu to work with. It will be interesting to see what sort of designs come out of the Eco contest.

As your children come of age, they’ll need a vehicle to drive and most parents aren’t likely to want to share their own vehicle. What should you look for when it comes to a first car? There are a number of factors, but safety is key, so keep in mind that cars like the Volvo S60 and the Honda Civic are nice safe vehicles. In fact, the Honda Civic is the number one vehicle for teens.

Since teens are more prone to crashing, it’s not necessarily a good idea to spring for a brand new car. Keep in mind that a vehicle with just a couple of years on it can be a much more suitable car for your child. The price will be lower and it won’t be as bad if something happens to it.

Which models are your best bet for a young driver? We’ve already mentioned the Honda Civic, but there are several other models that work very well. Scion is one of them. This line was actually designed for young drivers and is available for a decent price, but offers lots of safety options that will help parents feel better.

The Honda Fit is another excellent choice, particularly because it gets 34 mpg and is fairly cheap to insure. The Mazda 3 is also quite popular among teens and looks great. It’s also quite economical in price and has enough space and performance to keep everyone happy.

When choosing a car for your teen driver, make sure you pick something like the Honda Civic or a Mazda 3 which will be better able to handle anything your young driver puts it through.

When Ford announced that their Ford F150 would be getting the EcoBoost technology, there were a lot of critics. Many felt that consumers interested in trucks wouldn’t be too interested in picking a fuel efficient version. That theory has been proved wrong, however. The new Ford model has been very popular and has received top reviews from new owners.

The EcoBoost technology has already proven itself in smaller vehicles like the Ford Taurus and The Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex, but these are all cars that can handle less power. A truck is usually the opposite . . . looking for more power, rather than dropping it. Ford has dealt quite nicely with this potential issue, however.

Rather than allow their half ton pickup a weaker model because of its efficiency, Ford added the EcoBoost, but included two small turbochargers to reduce the effect. The result? The Ford F150 is now one of the more powerful trucks on the market, with 365 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Not only did they do away with the worries that the vehicle would be less powerful, they boosted it enough that consumers are more than happy to choose this option . . . in fact, forty percent of buyers go with the EcoBoost engine instead of the standard 5.0 L V8.

The car manufacturer has also kept prices low, the new Ford F150 EcoBoost option is just $750 more than the standard engine and offers better mileage, better fuel efficiency and extra horsepower and torque, making the V6 an even better deal than the V8, something most people didn’t see coming at all.

The world is still talking about the rash of recalls from Toyota a couple of years back , but new redesigns of the Toyota Camry and Sienna, the car manufacturer is starting to gain back some of their customers.

The Toyota Camry has undergone some interesting changes in the 2012 model. A longer wheel base means extra space for passengers and the sleek lines of the car have been tweaked to make it even more aerodynamic. It is also available with a six speed automatic transmission, though the five speed is the standard. Its four cylinder engine is quite fuel efficient, no matter where you’re driving, getting around 33 mpg in the city and a similar 34 mpg on the highway.

While the Camry may be looking slightly different this coming year, the Toyota Sienna is also a hot commodity that has drawn many new customers into the fold. For starters, the look is quite different . . . it seems more like a crossover SUV than a minivan, which is definitely a pleasure to drive. It also features extra leg room and a full complement of airbags throughout the vehicle. The Toyota Sienna also offers two different engines, a 2.7 L four cylinder and a 4.5 L V6, both with some decent power.

Whether you like the Toyota Sienna or the Camry more, the fact remains that these vehicles are helping Toyota make a comeback where it once seemed there was no chance of the car company being popular again.